Height of boxes from floor?


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Old 12-14-01, 09:10 AM
W
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Height of boxes from floor?

Are there any standards for the distance, in inches, for mounting electrical boxes from the floor?
Distance to bottom of box?
Or
Distance to center of box?
 
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Old 12-14-01, 10:09 AM
J
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There's no standard. You can pretty much do anything you want. However, to avoid some problems, you do not normally want to mount them in the floor, nor above 66 inches.

The best thing is ususally to follow the standard that already exists in your house. I.e., mount the new boxes the same height as the existing ones. This is especially true for light switches, where you often reach for it by habit. You don't want to remember a different habit for every room.

Some people like 48" for light switches and some prefer 42". Receptacles are ususally between 12" and 18" from the floor. But if you are planning a computer desk, you might want to mount it above the height of the desk so you can more easily plug stuff in on the desk.

Try to think about how you will use the outlets, and mount the box accordingly.
 
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Old 12-15-01, 04:26 AM
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John,
Thanks for your tips on mounting boxes.
I found my existing boxes are mounted 13" to center.
I've heard contractors use the length of their hammer to mark at 13"
I've found the answers on this board to be very useful and very qualified.
You'll see more of my questions here.
 
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Old 03-02-13, 08:12 AM
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Handicap Accessible

Consider raising the height to 18" for wheelchair accessibility.

Because of an Multiple Sclerosis, we were unsure if we would require a wheel-chair.

There were no standards for electrical outlets, but the average we found was about 13 inches, when ours were installed, we raised it to 18 inches, to allow ease of reaching from a wheelchair.

It's been 10 years, we have not needed the wheel chair.

Beyond the diagnosis, we have watched our parents get old and struggling with mobility. It isn't just a "NOW" concept, but also looking towards the future.

Just a thought.
 
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Old 03-02-13, 08:17 AM
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Welcome to the forums! You are addressing a 12 year old post, so everyone is probably gone and the project is finished. Check the dates and jump in. Love to have your comments.
 
 

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